Advice or the Gospel? The limits of human counsel and the transforming Gospel

The Akan people of Ghana, a cultural group that includes sub-divisions like the Asante, Fante, Akuapem, and Akyem, have a proverb: “Afutuo nsakra nipa gye sɛ nsohwɛ.” This translates to: “Advice does not change a person, unless trial.”

There is much wisdom in this proverb about human nature. Advice, no matter how good, often are just ideas or facts about life. It can guide, instruct, and warn, but it doesn’t always lead to change. A person might agree with the advice but still stay on the same path. Real change usually happens when hardship or trial pushes someone to rethink their choices. The Akan elders, drawing from their experiences, understood that advice alone has limitations.

This idea aligns with the biblical perspective. Scripture values counsel (Prov. 11:14) but also highlights its inability to truly transform the human heart. A typical example from the Bible is found in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). The younger son received guidance from his father’s household through both upbringing and example. He was aware of the values of hard work, respect, and responsibility. Still, none of this advice stopped him when he demanded his inheritance and wasted it on reckless living. It wasn’t his father’s warnings or his community’s wisdom that brought him to his senses. Instead, it was trial—hunger, poverty, and the shame of feeding pigs—that opened his eyes. Only when faced with harsh realities did he finally say, “I will arise and go to my father” (Luke 15:18).

This is exactly the point of the Akan elders: advice alone often fails to transform. The prodigal had all the guidance he needed, but only the trial of suffering could arouse his conscience from his stubbornness. However, in this parable, Jesus teaches something greater about the gospel: when he returned, his father didn’t just offer more advice; he embraced him with forgiveness, restored his dignity, and celebrated his return. This highlights the difference between human counsel and the gospel. Advice may inform, and trials may compel, but the gospel transforms through grace.

The apostle Paul makes this clear: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16, NIV). The gospel is not just advice on how to live; it is divine power that changes hearts, renews minds, and reconciles people to God.

While advice helps in imparting some wisdom and guidance, the gospel brings transformation. Advice appeals to human reason, but the gospel reaches deep into human nature, addressing sin, guilt, and brokenness. Trials may lead to a change in behavior, but only the gospel can create a new person (2 Cor. 5:17). This is why Paul traveled the Mediterranean not as one of the philosophers of his time sharing moral advice; he proclaimed Christ’s death and resurrection, knowing this message holds God’s saving power.

Thus, through the lens of the Akan proverb, we’re able to the uniqueness of the Christian message. Just as the elders recognized that advice could not truly change someone, Christians need to understand that moral instruction or human philosophy falls short in bringing salvation. In the gospel, we get more than advice; it comes with the Holy Spirit’s power, inscribing God’s law on the heart (Jer. 31:33), enabling genuine obedience from within.

As our world is filled with self-help books, motivational talks, and endless advice, the church must never reduce the gospel to mere good counsel. The gospel is God’s response to humanity’s deepest need—not just guidance, but true transformation. It doesn’t merely tell us what to do; it empowers us to become who God wants us to be.